Revised IPEDS Graduation Rates, 2004-2017
Prepared by Jeff Webb
AAB 355-Q • 4600 S Redwood Road • (801) 957-4110
March 10, 2017
Abstract
In spring 2016 IRR discovered that the registration status used to identify first-time students for inclusion in the IPEDS cohort had (among other problems) been systematically excluding former concurrent enrollment students. That impacted IPEDS graduation rates: former concurrent students tend to graduate more quickly and at higher rates than average, having already accrued college credits. Furthermore, because that exclusion seemed somewhat random, with large year-to-year changes in the number of former concurrent students included in the cohort, the IPEDS graduation rates calculated historically at the college showed large variation. Thus, in an effort to improve the accuracy of IPEDS graduation rates, IRR undertook a systematic revision of the use of the registration status field in identifying new students. This effort was completed by Marie Taylor by summer 2016, and the new registration status was used for reporting third week numbers to USHE in Fall 2016.
This report reviews IPEDS definitions and historical SLCC reports (and the problems therein), and concludes by presenting IPEDS graduation counts and percents for the revised cohorts.
Talking points
- The revised IPEDS graduation rates presented here are based on an updated registration status code that identifies—more accurately, we believe—a student in a given term as (among others) continuing, returning, transfer or first-time.
- Revising the student registration status code in this way eliminated the alarming fluctuation in graduation rates that was due—primarily, we believe—to the proportion of former concurrent included in each IPEDS cohort.
- The resulting graduation rates are comparable to the average rates observed at similar large, urban two-year colleges and exhibit strong stability from year to year. We would expect stability: SLCC should be relatively insulated from dramatic performance fluctuations just by virtue of its size.
- Given the stability of the revised IPEDS graduation rates we think it is reasonable to expect that rates for future cohorts will resemble those in the tables below: on average, two year rates should be about 8%, three year rates should be about 18%, and four year rates should be about 24%.
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